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J. E. WOOTTEN.

RAILWAY GHAIR.

No. 66,437. Patented July 2, 1867.

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J. E. WOOTTEN. OF READING, PElflNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORTO HIMSELF, C E. BYERS, AND W WHARTON, JR.

Letters Patent No. 66,437, dated July 2, 1867.

IMPROVED RAILWAY-CHAIR.

TO ALL WHOM ITitIAYOClNCERN:

Be it known that I, J. E. WOOTTEN, of Reading, Berks county, Pennsylvania, have invented an improved -BailSupporti ng Coupling; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention consists of a rail-coupling composed oia rolled bar with retaining flange a'nd certain ribs, the whole being supportedat its opposite ends on two sleepers, and being constructed for the retention, support, and ready removal and replacing of the rails, substantially as described hereafter.-

In order to enable others skilled in the art to make and apply my invention, Iwill now proceed to describe its construction and operation, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, which forms a part of this specification, and in which l Figure 1 is a side view of my improved rail-supporting coupling.

Figure 2, a transverse vertical section on the line 1-2, fig. 1.

Figure 3, a transverse vertical section on the line 3-4, fig. 1; and

Figure 4, a sectional view, drawn to an enlarged scale, and illustrating the mode of removing and replacing the rails.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

A and A' represent the adjacent ends of twoordinary rails, and B the supporting coupling for the same. The peculiar construction of this coupling will be best observed on reference to the enlarged view, fig. 4'. It

- consists 0& the plate a, on the under side of which is s. rib, b, and on the upper side the hept retaining flange d one edge, and longitudinal rib e at the other, the whole being in one piece. long bar, with ribs c and 6, and the flange d in a vertical position, shown'in dotted lines, fig. 4, is first rolled, the said flange: cl being subsequently bent down, by passing the her through appropriate grooves in the rolls. From this bar are cut the railsupporting couplings B, of appropriate length, the ends of the under rib b being bevelled, as shown in fig. 1. D and D are the two sleepers, on which the coupling rests, and-these are so cut away as to admit the bevelled ends of the rib b, and permit the flat or horizontal portion of the coupling to rest fairly on the said sleepers. The two ends of the rails A and Aare now introduced to the coupling, by placing their flanges :t beneath the bent retaining flange d, as seen in fig. 4, and pushing the rails laterally until they rest on the upper surface of the horizontal portion a of the coupling, when they are confined laterally between the bent flange d and rib e. Spikes e are now driven through holes in the coupling, one or more near each end of the same, and through recesses in the flange y of the rails into the sleeper, and bolts or rivets ff are passed through holes in the flanges p ot the rails, and through the coupling, thereby securing the latter firmly to the former. It will be seen that the coupling resting on the sleepers ateach end, serves as a rigid girder to support the ends of. the two rails, and to resist any strain to which the rails may be subjected at the same time the coupling serves to effectually "retain the rails in the-proper lateral position So securely is the coupling confined to the two rails that it may be considered a part of the same. Even should one of the sleepers be depressed below its proper level, the two rails,wonld still be retained in line, owing to the bent retaining flange above andrib below the coupling.- The removal of the rail is a matter readily accomplished,,without the necessity of moving either the rail or the coupling laterally, for after the spikes e e have been withdrawn, and the bolts or rivets removed, the rails may be first tilted to the position shown in fig. 4, and the flangcsz then withdrawn from the retaining flange d.

I am aware that a railsupporting coupling, consisting of a rolled her, having a rib at the under'sidefand a bent flange at each edge, is described in the application of George W. Billings, withdrawn in 1861; such a coupling, however, is objectionable, 'as'a rail cannot be detached from the same without moving either the rail or the coupling longitudinally, a diflicult and tedious operation.

I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent- The rolled bar B, with its under rib 6, side rib e, and bent flange d, when the said ribs are constructed and arranged as described.

In testimony-whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

J. E. WOOTTEN.

Witnesses Joint Wnrre, W. J. B. Drum. 

